Vol. 502 No. 3
164 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she has requested CIE to ensure that all future investment in buses, rolling stock and other transport infrastructure is proofed for accessibility to all prior to orders being placed or tenders awarded. [7812/99]
It is and always has been my policy that transport operators, and in particular the State transport companies, should provide the highest possible degree of accessibility. I am committed to bringing about a situation where public transport facilities are fully accessible to all at the earliest possible date. The CIE companies are fully aware of my policy in this regard and I am satisfied that they are doing all in their power to achieve this goal.
Bus Átha Cliath currently has six low floor single decker buses in operation on the No. 3 route, Belfield to Drumcondra, and the company has given a commitment that, from now on, all single-deck buses due for renewal will be replaced by low-floor equivalents.
At my request the company is preparing a broad programme of trials of possible low floor buses. I expect the trials to include six double deck; one articulated; and one alternative fuel bus. These trials, together with the experience of their existing low floor single deck buses and a further 20 fully accessible 33 seater midi buses which the company will purchase this year will provide the basis for decisions on the future fleet replacement programme. Depending on the results of these pilot tests, Bus Átha Cliath should be in a position to begin ordering accessible double decker buses from 2000.
At present Bus Éireann has one low-floor single deck bus operating on the Bishopstown route in Cork. A wheelchair-accessible school bus is also in service in Cork City. A further ten low-floor vehicles are currently on order. Bus Éireann states that these vehicles are due for delivery in early summer and will be put into service on the company's Cork and Limerick city routes.
Considerable progress has also been made in making the railway accessible to people with disabilities. Iarnród Éireann has published an accessibility guide for passengers. Almost all of the 90 mainline stations are accessible by wheelchair users. All of the newer rail passenger carriages, including the DART, are accessible by wheelchair users. In addition, the new DART stations at Drumcondra, and Clontarf Road and the upgraded Dun Laoghaire station are all fully accessible.
I am also pleased to report that each of the companies, Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, have now established user groups representative of people with disabilities. The input from these groups gives the companies very valuable assistance in their ongoing programmes of improving the suitability of their services for mobility-impaired customers.
